So I have been in Switzerland these last two weekends, I went skiing and nightsledding on the first weekend. The second weekend I went hiking in the alps and in the Black Forest. It was pretty much amazing, I'm kinda out of words right now because I've been writing alot but I think there are enough pictures to make up for that...
Me on the train tracks that take you up the mountain and cliff face:

Our luncheon view:

The beautiful swiss alps:

The cute little lamb we saw on our hike, we ended up seeing cows and chickens as well... ok so the traditional job of the region is to herd cattle and sheep. You make cheese, chocolate, and milk. However, making those things does not sustain a farmer so the government subsidizes the traditional method of alpine farming. During the summer the farmer has to make hay for the winter and thus hires several "students and hippies" to watch the cows while he works... how cool of a job is that?
The peak on the left is the Eiger, recognize it? It is the peak that the North Face brand was named for:
One of the several beautiful waterfalls and trees we saw:

The random, fat cat that looked as if he owned the entire valley:
I wish I could describe the color of the rivers to you... it was water from melted glaciers and snow so it had this blue, almost aquamarine tint unlike any I have ever seen:


The valley we stayed in:

This looked like the highest peak from where we were in the valley but after we took the gondola ride up we discovered these peaks could be categorized as the base of that particular mountain:
I loved this stream:


I understand why their aren't very many swiss immigrants:

The alps glow at sunset:
A few of the beautiful falls, once again this was only the base of a ridiculously huge mountian that we hiked up:


Ok, this is what I skiied in... it was ridiculous and challenging and amazing!

Proof:
I don't know if I have ever seen so much snow... it snowed on us while skiing, and I skiied through a cloud, yep, i know, this is my life, ridiculous:


Sara and I were the only ones who wanted to ski, everyone else went paragliding:

The view when you first got off the ski-train:
It was breath-taking:


Really, I don't know if better weekends exist, I was surrounded by the majesty of creation at every turn.

I didn't get pics of the black forest because my camera ran out of batteries but Robert, the guy I was travelling with did... oh yeah Robert, let me tell you about our weekend together.

First of all stop, no, we're just friends who wanted to see the same stuff but yes we did travel to the black forest and swiss alps together. It was hilariously awkward the first night, actually kinda the whole trip cause everyone just assumed we were together, but we definitely are not. We found some good stuff to talk about in all our hours of hiking (grandparents [grandma, nana and papa i wish you were here, i loved talking about you but it made me miss you guys], life goals, dream jobs, places we've been, etc.) but with such beauty surrounding you, the main subject was the mountains and how blessed we are and how amazing it all was.

Oh and the weather, if you've seen Seven Brides for Seven Brothers,(if you haven't you should) the weather in the Swiss Alps was exactly like that first day of spring towards the end when all the couples are singing about spring. It was gorgeously sunny, we both got sunburned, creeks were beginning to flow, ice was melting, sheep and cows were lowing, but there was still snow and a crispness in the air that is possibly unmatchable.

In the Black Forest a storm was blowing in so it was windy and the temperature was dropping and the leaves were swirling around your feet as you imagined al kinds of noises coming from the trees... exactly as a day in the black forest should be. I understand how that forest inspired so many wonderful stories.

Ask me about night-sledding when I talk to you or when I get home, that couls take up another half-page and this thing is getting long. I love you guys and I want to hear about your lives... Juarez, Model UN, Chicago, Missouri, McKinney... talk to you soon!